#387 Steve Kemp

Card thoughts: Kemp generally looks a lot shaggier on his cards (see here, here, and here). This is Kemp’s only base card as a Pirate.

The player: Kemp had a charmed baseball life his first few years in the majors. A #1 vdraft pick out USC, he spent just one year in the minors before joining a very talented young Tiger team in 1977, which also included rookies #270 Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, #130 Alan Trammell, and #20 Lou Whitaker, all who made their debuts that season. Despite driving 88 runs as a rookie, Kemp did not rank in the Rookie of the Year voting, which was dominated by #30 Eddie Murray and Mitchell Page.

In his sophomore season, Kemp’s power numbers slumped a bit as he learned to be more selective. This would set him up for two monster seasons in 1979 and 1980.  In both seasons, Kemp drove in over 100 runs but the ’79 season really stood out, as he reached career highs in home runs (26), RBIs (105), batting average (.318), slugging (.543) and OPS (.941). Kemp made his only all-star squad that year, where he went hitless in a pinch hitting appearance for Bob Stanley. The one drawback in his game was fielding, as he was tentative in left field (although when he got to the ball, he didn’t generally flub it).

Unfortunately for the Tigers, all that success increased Kemp’s value. After turning down a $750,000 contract, the Tigers felt they were going to lose him to free agency after the 1981 season.  So they traded him to the White Sox, straight up, for another former all-star outfielder, #160 Chet Lemon. Kemp had mixed feelings about the trade, as he acknowledged he’d miss Detroit, despite being booed there often.

This trade would be beneficial to both clubs. Kemp would have one his finest years for the White Sox, scoring a career high 91 runs, and driving 98, despite hitting just 19 home runs in less hitter happy Comiskey Park.  But, like the Tigers, the White Sox couldn’t afford to pay the slugger $1 million a year. Instead, he left for the Yankees. At 28 years old, and one of the highest paid players in the league, the world was Kemp’s oyster.

Except, it wasn’t.  Kemp was one of the first free agents to get clubs to engage in a bidding war (the Orioles were miffed that Kemp’s agent was playing both sides against the middle. Ah, innocent times!), and the expectations for him in New York were sky high. But Kemp had been hit in the elbow at the end of the 1982 season, and he began overcompensating for the injury, which led to him pulling his groin after just one at bat in the first game of the 1983 season. He later badly bruised his collarbone after colliding with the outfield wall.  Kemp got into just 109 games and his OPS dropped .718.  His defense, always suspect, was even worse with the injuries, and he was booed lustily at home.

But it got even worse. He was struck in batting practice by a line drive at the end of the 1983 season, which broke his eye socket, and permanently damaged his optic nerve, leading to a blind spot and lack of depth perception. Kemp did hit for a higher average in 1984 (.291), but the power was gone, and with it, his position of one of the best hitters in the game.

Desperate to unload the damaged Kemp, the Yankees included a boatload of cash to the Pirates, as an encouragement to take him off their hands. With the Pirates, Kemp failed to provide the power they needed (13 doubles, 2 home runs) in 92 games, and he was released early in 1986 season, having never regained his power stroke (and once again, being booed constantly).

Kemp attempted comebacks with the Padres and the Rangers and, although he hit well at AAA, he only got 36 more major league at bats in 1988 before he retired.

Rear guard: Kemp's two home runs on August 19 came off Seattle pitchers Dick Pole and Diego Segui. The first one plated the first three runs of the game (Kemp, Rusty Staub, and Tito (not Puente) Fuentes.

#386 Cecil Fielder

Card thoughts: Not as fat as he’d get when he was with the Tigers, Fielder’s still showing a lot of girth as he takes his hacks (presumably) right after #168 Jeff Burroughs. This is his rookie card.

The player: Cecil Fielder seemingly came out of nowhere to hit over 50 home runs (actually, Japan) in 1990. Much like his son, Prince, Fielder was always suspect because of his weight, which limited his mobility in both the field and at the plate. But he proved the doubters wrong, as he consistently slugged for about a decade after that initial power explosion.

Fielder had a lot of pop in the minors for the Blue Jays and Royals (20 HR, .645 slugging for Butte in ’82; 28 HR between A and AA in ’84), he was blocked in the majors by veteran Willie Upshaw. When Upshaw finally moved on, another top prospect, Fred McGriff, had supplanted Fielder as he had a similar power profile, but was a much better fielder.

Fielder would get his chance when he was signed by the Tigers—the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese League. At this point, Fielder was considered a 4A player, and he relished the opportunity to earn some money (a reported salary of over $1M), and some respect (the team assigned him a chauffeur and a full-time interpreter). By this time, Fielder weighed in at over 280 pounds and he was nicknamed “Wild Bear” for his hulking stature. He ended up belting 38 home runs and slugging .628 for the team.

This got the (American) Detroit Tigers attention, and they signed Fielder. Obviously no expecting much, he was only signed to a short-term contract. But he surprised everyone by leading the league in home runs (51) and RBIs (132), while finishing second in MVP voting. Fielder was the first player in 25 years to reach the 50 home run mark, and the first on the Tigers since Hank Greenberg did it in 1938. The next year, Fielder again led in home runs (44) and RBIs (133), and followed that up in 1992 with yet another RBI crown (124).  Not only was Fielder hitting a boatload of home runs, but home runs were often prodigious. He once hit a home run completely out of Milwaukee County Stadium (the only player ever to do that), and also became only the fourth player in history to clear the left field roof in Tiger Stadium.

Although there were constant concerns about Fielder’s durability, even with all that weight he rarely got injured. He was a fairly one dimensional player, however with one plus tool (power). As he aged, Fielder’s shortcomings in the field and on the bases (he was one of the slowest runners in the league), led the Tigers to explore a trade in 1996, despite the fact they had made him one of the highest paid players just a year before. They found a willing partner in the Yankees, no stranger to high-priced sluggers, and they received Ruben Sierra, another aging slugger, in return.

With the Yankees, Fielder was confined to designated hitter, and although still productive, he had a hard time staying healthy in his only full season there (1997). Fielder’s career would end as a bench player for the Angels and Indians the following season.

Although Fielder and his son, Prince, were once close, the two had a falling out after his father tried to claim part of his salary because he had helped him negotiate his first pro contract. These shady dealings may be tied to Fielder’s reported gambling problem, which left him bankrupt and eventually destroyed his marriage. (Fielder denied these allegations, and sued USA Today for reporting on them. However, the libel suit was dismissed.) Father and son have apparently reconciled, and Fielder has gotten back in the game as a coach for a few indy league teams, and organizing a kiddie World Series.

Rear guard: 230 pounds? I think not! Anyway, I can't even begin to pronounce Dave Lemanczyk's name, but I would say recording 4 putouts in a game is not especially exciting for a pitcher. Although he was second in the league in putouts that year, perhaps because he pitched 252 1/3 innings. Here's his 1978 card.

#385 Cecil Cooper

Card thoughts: Cooper sported a variety of facial hair on his cards. In the 70s, he was fond of the mutasche/long side burns combo. By the time he came to the Brewers, he took to wearing shaded specs and the neatly groomed full beard you see on this card.

The player: Like his teammate (on both the Red Sox and Brewers) #373 Ben Ogilve, Cooper was blocked for years by a veteran at his position (in his case, legend Carl Yastrzemerski). But with a batting stance change (an exaggerated crouch), and a change in scenery, Cooper became a star in the 80s for the Brewers.

Raised in a large family full of pro baseball players (both his father and older brothers played in the Negro Leagues). Drafted out of high school by the Red Sox, he hit .336 with their Midwest League affiliate (Danville) in 1970, prompting the Cardinals to draft him, but he was returned at the end of spring training the next year.

Cooper spent a couple of years as the Red Sox’s primary designated hitter, which was a shame because Yastrzemski was playing first because he was old, not because he was a good fielder. It was hard to keep Cooper out of the lineup because he had a good bat, but he got hit in the face in 1975, and that sidelined him for a while.

Finally finding Cooper’s bat superfluous to their team, the Red Sox sent him to the Brewers in 1976 for Bernie Carbo (great pinch hitter, troubled person) and George Scott (a bit over the hill, but had one great season left in him). Out of the shadow of Fenway, Cooper began to shine. He hit over .300 in each of his first three Brewer seasons, with an especially good 1979 season, when he made the all star team, won a gold glove, and led the league in doubles (44).

In 1980, Cooper would hit .352 and led the league in RBIs (122). Most years, that batting average would have topped the league, but George Brett hit .390 that year. Cooper would continue to be consistently productive until 1984, generally ranking in the top 5 in MVP voting, hitting over 30 home runs, and driving in over 100. In doing so, he was a favorite in Milwaukee, even penning a kids’ column in the in-house Brewers organ What’s Brewing. He also gave back to the community, winning the Roberto Clemente award for public service in 1983.

1984 was a down year for Copper, as he failed to hit above .300 for the first time since 1976. In addition, his power numbers were down (just 28 doubles and 11 home runs). Although he was aging, by the time this card came out, he had come off a year that a return to form (39 doubles, 99 driven in, and even 10 steals, the most he’d swiped since 1980). But Cooper would play just one more full year, before retiring early in the 1987 season.

Since retirement, he’s worked as a sports agent, farm director, scout, and manager (most recently for the Houston Astros). Cooper is still one of the greatest Brewers off all time, and although not of Hall of Fame caliber, he comes close.

Rear guard:  I wonder if Topps picked these dates because they were almost exactly two years apart? Well, I don't know what day his first grand slam was, because on July 26th, Cooper went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts.